Dominican Republic – On the first day of the expo the Minister of TEAT Grisha Marten-Heyliger posted this info on her official political Facebook page.
The first full day of the Expo Agroalimentaria Santo Domingo 2025, was spent fully engaged in what I would describe as valuable and strategic networking.
My focus was on identifying new opportunities that could strengthen trade routes and economic partnerships for St. Maarten. I had the opportunity to meet with three different shipping and logistics companies to discuss potential collaboration on more efficient and cost-effective inlet routes to the island. These initial conversations were promising, and I look forward to continuing them in the days ahead.
I also visited one of the Dominican Republic’s major retail chains, Sirena, to gain insight into their supply chain operations and retail models. It was an enlightening experience that gave me ideas on how we can improve food accessibility and commercial partnerships at home.
Additionally, I met with representatives from the Department of Agriculture here in the DR. One exciting moment was connecting with a company that specializes in containerized farming systems—something similar to our very own containerized Yellow Sage farm in Sint Maarten. This concept holds strong potential for island nations like ours, where land and resources are limited but the demand for local food production is growing.
Overall, today was about laying the groundwork—building relationships, identifying synergies, and exploring new avenues that can benefit our people and economy in the long term. I look forward to what the rest of the mission brings.
